UPDATE - Israelis vote in third election in a year

UPDATES WITH VOTER TURNOUT

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli voters began to cast ballot in the country's third general election in a year on Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz had failed to form a coalition government in the past two elections in April and September.

According to Israeli Central Elections Committee, more than 6.4 million Israelis were eligible to vote at more than 11,000 polling stations across Israel.

Thirty electoral lists are competing for 120 seats in the Knesset (Israel's parliament). Observers and opinion polling centers expect only eight of those lists to win seats in the polls.

According Maariv daily newspaper, %27.6 percent of Israelis turned out in the first five hours of the voting process.

Opinion polls suggested that Netanyahu and Gantz are predicted to win 33 seats in Knesset.

Preliminary results are expected to be announced early Tuesday.